Welcome! This is written primarily for people with Type 2 Diabetes. Some information covers all types of diabetes. Always keep a positive attitude is my motto.
I am a person with diabetes type 2 and write about my experiences and research. Please discuss medical problems with your doctor. Please do not click on the advertisers that have attached to certain words in this section. They are not authorized and are robbing me by doing so.

February 18, 2015

Do You Understand Depression - Part 2

Many people will not come right out and
state that they are depressed or feel depressed. Normally, the
doctor should know the signs as they can accompany other real
problems the person goes to the doctor to resolve.

Because of how depression can affect
people diagnosed with diabetes, I would propose that the following be
made mandatory for all adult people with diabetes and all parents of
children with diabetes. Once a diagnosis has been made, the
diagnosing doctor should schedule a session with a psychiatrist. And
yes, this should be mandatory with penalties for not keeping the
appointment. Insurance should be required to pay for this.

This would not be the normal visit, but
an educational appointment to learn about depression, the warning
signs of depression, and maybe some tests as described in this blog.
Many people with diabetes (about two-thirds) do develop some
depression because of the daily chores with diabetes. No stigmatism
should be attached to this appointment and questions should be
allowed. The psychiatrist should build a file for future assistance
and learn what medications you might be willing to take. This should
also build a doctor patient relationship that can be used later if
needed and allow for open communications in the future.

Understand that this does not lock you
in with this doctor. If you don't have a rapport with the doctor,
you should be able to get a referral in the future to another
psychiatrist. Some even use telemedicine to chat with you later to
answer questions about depression. Don't forget the problem with
burnout and these doctors may be able to assist during this and help
shorten the length of the burnout.

Back to the information about
depression. People that are depressed can have trouble falling and
staying asleep, or conversely, they will find they want to sleep all
the time. Interest in things commonly enjoyed can disappear.
Feelings of guilt and hopelessness can be intense and constant.
Concentration is often impaired, and appetite can be minimal or,
conversely, voracious. This is when a visit with a psychiatrist
could be important. The American Psychiatric Association provides a
screening tool for depression that could be of help.

While about 19 percent of depression
can become severe, it is better to ask for help when you recognize
some of the early symptoms than say I will get better and then not
get better, but worse.

When the depression gets worse, this is
when thoughts often happen such as I'd be better off dead, or turn to
killing oneself or others. Depression is dangerous when it distorts
thinking, judgment, and decision-making. The disease of depression
can make it hard to remember the last time you felt "normal"
and hard to believe you will ever feel "normal" again. It
can be hard to believe someone we have known as a happy,
well-adjusted, and successful friend, neighbor, family member, or
colleague would want to kill himself or herself. However, depression
is extremely powerful.

Without this information, patients can
feel lost or, worse, defeated if their symptoms progress. It is very
important to become educated to get help right away if their mood
worsens or if they have any of these additional symptoms.

It is important to provide crisis
numbers, including the national suicide hotline (1-800-273-8255),
which is available 24/7. I would advise everyone that if they are
feeling dangerous to themselves, they should not wait to see a
psychiatrist in the community; they should go to the nearest
emergency department or call 911.

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About Me

I am enjoying life, despite diabetes type 2. I am retired and enjoying the time I have for writing and photography. I was diagnosed with type 2 on Oct 2003, on oral meds for 4 months and they were doing nothing to really improve my daily readings. By cutting my carbohydrates I received the most improvement, but still not enough. Then I requested insulin, even though I did not like the thought of needles. That brought about the biggest change and A1c's in the lower 6's and upper 5's. Now I am working at maintaining them under 6.0 and hopefully nearer 5.5.